1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for producing a beverage from an infusible beverage substance and, in particular, to a portable beverage infusion device for preparing a single serving beverage.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventional methods of infusible beverage preparation include the common tea bag which is a pouch of porous filter material containing an infusible beverage substance with a string attached to the pouch. While the common name for the device is "tea" bag, the infusible beverage substance contained therein can be dry roasted coffee, tea, herbal medicines or the like. Stirring an infused beverage by use of the common tea bag is not satisfactory because the string lacks the rigidity necessary to provide an adequate stirring mechanism. Further, the removal of the tea bag from the beverage can be untidy since the wet tea bag can drip. In order to prevent the tea bag from dripping, the tea bag is often squeezed dry or placed in a paper towel or napkin prior to being discarded. Coffee is also infused in porous pouches with the same disadvantages.
Methods for infusing coffee, including the French press method, the vacuum method and the middle eastern or Turkish coffee method, require brewing devices which not portable and are best suited to making multiple cups of coffee. The French press requires a container device fitted with a plunger. The vacuum method requires a device with two glass chambers, e.g. upper and lower chambers. The middle eastern method requires a long handled narrow necked device called an ibrit. The aforementioned devices are fragile, large and inconvenient to carry; thus the average coffee drinker hoping to partake in an impromptu cup of coffee would not carry the devices during his or her daily travels.
Another method of coffee infusion is the cold water method. The method is time consuming and typically requires approximately 10-20 hours, a large bowl, two quarts of water and a pound of finely ground coffee to create a concentrated coffee liquid. The concentrated liquid must be added to hot water to create a cup of coffee. The method is time consuming and impractical for the coffee drinker desiring an impromptu cup of coffee.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,102,465 discloses a leak-proof packaging infusion unit. The unit comprises a tubular sheath element, a tubular charge holding element adapted to fit telescopically inside the sheath element and a circular closure cap. The closure cap is the structure which holds the infusible substance in the unit. The device only allows liquid to contact the infusible substance through the exterior of the charge holding element. Also, the device does not permit removal of excess liquid after use.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a infusion device which is convenient to use.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an infusion device which is also a stirring device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an infusion device which permits better contact with an infusible beverage substance.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an infusion device which removes excess liquid after use.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.